Oh my gosh... I'm so sorry because I haven't updated in forever! So so sorry, lack of motivation I guess but mostly I'm so self conscious about this story but thank my mum! She reminded me she liked my writing so I'm updating.

Forgot to mention in the last chapter, seagull poop medicine. Hm. Must sound weird but it's from the books, for chicken pox. Anything that sounds weird is from the books lol

I won't ever discontinue this story, so yeah.

Reviews/ favs/ follows appreciated, thanks so much to everyone who has;)

"I swear, I'm gonna wring his scrawny little neck when I find him!" Astrid fumes.

Astrid, Fishlegs and Snotlout are searching the forest with their dragons, as ordered by Chief Stoick the Vast, O Hear His Name and Tremble Ugh, Ugh, Ugh.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut had insisted they search the underground tunnels, saying that they could 'sense' that Josh was in there, and that that's where they would go if they were criminals. No one had any objections, and they are now free of the twins for once!

"Yeah, and while you're doing that I'm going to carry out MY threat." Snotlout says angrily grinding a balled fist into his other palm and cracking his knuckles threateningly. "He is going to be a pile of useless PULP after I'm done with him!"

"I still can't believe you trusted him over Gothi, what the heck were you thinking Snotlout?!" Astrid argues.

"I don't know! He seemed to have a good point at the time, but- I dunno I guess I just-

"Thought you'd put Hiccup's life in danger for no good reason?!"

"No! That's not it-

"Then what is, Snotlout?! Every time someone's life is in danger, it always has something to do with you!"

"Wait, so you're saying that everything is MY fault?!"

Astrid opens her mouth to reply, but Fishlegs rushes to break them up. "Guys, stop it!" He shouts. "This isn't about either of you. It's about Hiccup. We're out here to help our friend, not to fight."

"I don't see what good it does for Hiccup though." Astrid retaliates. Being out here searching for a pirate we're never going to find. I knew it was a bad idea trying to save him, I TOLD Hiccup but he never listens to-

"Over there!" Fishlegs shouts.

"Oh for crying out loud." Astrid mumbles, running after Fishlegs and Snotlout over to whatever he's found.

What they see shocks them, as there in front of them is Josh, lying crumpled up on his front, soaked in blood clutching a fistful of weeds.

The three dragon riders stand and stare open mouthed as their eyes discover a trail of red, starting at the boys feet and leading off into the forest.

"Oh Thor," Fishlegs swallows. "Quickly! We need to do something!"

Snotlout and Astrid don't move.

"Come on, we need to help, get some water from the creek, we need to find the wounds and stop the bleeding." Fishlegs repeats frantically.

This time, Snotlout and Astrid snap out of it. Astrid finds a horn in her saddle bag, blows it loud as a signal that they found him, then uses it to carry some water from the creek. Snotlout manages to tear some cloth from Fishlegs' shirt for the blood, much to Fishlegs' displeasure.

Together, the friends manage to get it under control, and stop to take a break.

"What do you think happened?" Fishlegs pants.

"Do you think it could have been a dragon attack?" Astrid suggests.

"No it couldn't have been. These cuts are like nothing I've ever seen from a dragon. They're not like claw marks, they're to jagged and inconsistent."

"Hey geniuses, isn't it obvious?" Snotlout butts in. "It was those lousy pirates that did this to him! Don't you remember? The yelling, the the cat tail whip thing, all that crazy stuff that happened yesterday which is the actual reason why we're here anyway?"

"Oh of course!" Fishlegs exclaims with a face palm. "How could I forget?"

"Because you're a muttonhead, now come on, we gotta figure out a way to get him back to Berk." Snotlout says.

"Do you think we should wait for him to wake up?" Astrid asks.

"If we do, we might have to tie him up first." Fishlegs replies.

"I'll get some rope." Astrid turns and walks toward her dragon.

"What's that in his hand anyway?" Snotlout points.

"Hmm." Fishlegs bends down to have a closer look. "It's comfrey, I recognise it from my botany book. The name means 'the plant for broken bones.' It likes wet cool weather, and can have purple or white flowers."

Astrid turns and drops the rope. "What did you say?"

"He's holding comfrey, I recognise it from my book."

"No, the name meaning? Means healing right?"

"Yes, it's the plant for broken bones."

"Hiccup has broken bones."

Everyone turns to look at Josh.

"I knew it!" Shouts Snotlout, after a minute. "He must have been trying to help after all."

"Fishlegs, are you absolutely sure this stuff heals people?" Astrid demands.

"Positive."

"In that case, we should be getting it back to Hiccup right away."

"It can probably heal Josh too." Snotlout tells them.

"Hmm, you could be right. We better grab some more." Astrid says, and the group all start to collect as much of the plant as they can.

After a quick discussion, they also come to a decision that it would be best to head back right away, and after a lot of messing around trying to get the unconscious Josh to stay on Hookfang, the gang head back to join up with the rest of the search party who had surely gathered in the centre of the village after hearing Astrid's horn.

...

The gang land in the centre of the village where many people are beginning to gather. Most of them look on as they start to lift the pirate boy off Snotlout's nightmare. The boy awakens as the dragon riders are attempting to move him, and gets down from the dragon himself.

The crowd begin to part as people see Stoick coming. "That'll be all thank you." Stoick tells the dragon riders as he comes to a stop in front of Josh.

"Wait Stoick." Astrid butts in. Before you throw him in a prison and- That will be all thank you." Stoick repeats.

"But Chief we've- That's enough!" Snotlout attempts to take over, but Stoick is in no mood. "I sent you out to find him, not to tell me what to do with him. Take him away." He instructs the men. "To the prison, where he can rot for the rest of his life." He spits, glaring hard at Josh.

The men grab him by the arms and start to carry him off before the boy can really realise what's happening.

The dragon riders are unsure of what to do... They had failed to defend Josh, but maybe they could at least help Hiccup.

"Um, Chief Stoick, sir?" Started Fishlegs.

Stoick doesn't bother to face Fishlegs, deciding instead on making sure the boy wasn't trying to change his mind. "This isn't about him is it?"

"Uh no, sir, it's actually that we just, well you know, in the forest there were these plants you see- the ones Josh was holding-

"Yes..?" Interrupted a growl.

Fishlegs gulped. "And uh, he was k-kinda collecting them, and as it turns out-

"Yes?" Came another growl.

"That he was actually-

"Yes?"

"You know-

Yes?!"

"...trying to help..."

"...oh?" Stoick turns and says to Fishlegs gruffly. "And how exactly do you think he was trying to help?"

"The plants he was collecting, I recognise them from my botany book. It's called comfrey, the name literally meaning 'the plant for broken bones'. It has the power to heal sir."

Stoick walks over and snatches the plant from Astrid's hand. After giving it a short glance and a quick whiff, he dismisses the idea. "Nothing but an old wives tale. Now go fetch Gothi some pine sap and some yaks tongues. She needs to make a new batch of real medicine for my son."

...

The men drag Josh down into the prison and shove him into their darkest cell- the one that had been specially taken care of to hold Alvin, but as he wasn't so much of a problem anymore, Stoick had thought it would be the perfect place for the slave who had tried to kill his son.

Josh puts up no fight, settling instead for simply lying on the ground once in his cell, wondering how he'd gotten there and why he isn't dead.

He soon realises that he is back where he'd started from, he'd had one simple task he had failed to complete, was thrown into a cell awaiting only death. And still grateful for the option to sleep, but this time he finds he can't. He is worried about the boy on the dragon- Hiccup the name was? His mind temporarily drifts to wondering why the Vikings had these sorts of names but the relief from his thoughts doesn't last long.

Were these people really planning on just leaving him here? It had sure seemed like a real threat. Every time Josh was in the presence of this Stoick fellow, he seemed to be either angry or yelling. He found it hard to believe Stoick was supposed to be Hiccup's dad...

He hopes that they aren't actually planning on leaving him here... The reason he could bear awaiting death on the pirate ship was because he knew that it was coming! When it was coming, how it was going to happen... Josh doesn't like the idea of simply rotting.

He wonders what he's supposed to do... He thinks he got the medicine, but how would he get it to Hiccup? How is Hiccup going to get better if no one knows it's medicine?! Josh cannot imagine a worse situation than knowing how to help someone but not being able to because no one trusts you. On top of that, he can't just go sneaking back into his house and treat him with it anyway, as they'd gone so far as to lock him in a cell. Josh supposes it does look pretty bad for him since they probably thought that awful red stuff he threw out would work.

His mind drifts to Gobber and he is filled with guilt. Gobber... He had been so kind, so helpful and friendly. They had liked each other right from the start and now he probably thought Josh was just like all those other pirates.

Josh's face scrunches up as he struggles to keep above the surface of the ocean that is his thoughts. If he was really going to rot in here, Josh is sure his heart will be the first thing to go...

...

"Ugh! This is so frustrating!" Astrid yells, pounding a fist on the sap covered pine tree in front of her. "We have the medicine! Why won't Stoick just let us use it? I mean- he just doesn't listen..."

"Tell us something we didn't know." Snotlout rolls his eyes as he drips the sticky sap into a small wooden bowl.

"But seriously, if he's willing to feed his son goats blood, pine sap, and yak tongues for pain, living earwigs for a stomach ache, sheep's mucus and flies for temperature, willing to rub on him runny seagulls poo for chicken pox, then what's the big issue with using a plant literally named "use this for healing broken bones" to help him?"

"We know what the issue is Astrid! We all know how ridiculous this is, but if you know so much more about it than us, then I'd really love to here what we can actually do about it!" Snotlout shouts.

Astrid turns to face him. "Snotlout, I don't think you understand that Hiccup's life is in danger."

"I know full and well who's lives are in danger Astrid! Stop treating me like an idiot, I pay more attention than you think. I haven't misunderstood anything about this situation we're in but I don't think that you have realised that the person Hiccup risked his life to save could be dying right now."

"Yeah but Hiccup-

"Hiccup will survive, he's been through worse, he knows we're trying to help him and that we care about him and all that mushy stuff, it helps alright! I've noticed that people who are dying stay alive way better if they have something to stay alive for. He has way more to live for than Josh right now."

Astrid and Fishlegs stare.

"He wasn't on that pirate ship because he was a pirate, he was kidnapped." Snotlout continues. "He was made into a slave. He told me so himself, he was on there for six years with those pirates. He's been waiting six years to see his parents again, he has a baby sister he's never met! He said that's the only reason he never gave up, because if you do that, you might as well be marooning yourself, or something like that. He didn't give up because he thought he would see his family again, but where he is now, after everything that's happened- I'm just saying that everyone has a breaking point. We have to do something about that Astrid. Not just for him but for Hiccup too."

"Snotlout?" Fishlegs slowly questions. "Are you feeling alright..?"

"We don't know this boy Snotlout." Astrid objects, ignoring Fishlegs. "He could be lying about all that, it all seems too emotionally fake. He was probably trying to get to you, and it looks like it's worked." Astrid crosses her arms. "People don't just go around telling people that kind of stuff."

"You don't see me talking like this every day Astrid. You probably wouldn't see him doing it either. We were talking and it kind of just happened. He didn't just start pouring sob stories on me, it was real. Not that it really matters to you anyway, I don't care if you don't care because what I need you to care about right now is the present situation."

"Of course I care about the situation, Snotlout." Astrid states calmly. "I just think we should focus on helping Hiccup first- he's more important than the pirate boy-

"Stop calling him that, he's not a pirate-

"He tipped Hiccup's medicine out the window- Astrid frowns.

"He was trying to help!"

"Well he's got a very ODD way of showing it!"

"What? So you thought that disgusting stuff was actually gonna help?"

"Yes, actually, I do trust Berk's best and only healer better than I trust that kid we just dragged of a pirate ship yesterday,"

"Actually, he kind of saved Hiccup."

"Okay Snotlout, I think it's about time you spat it out."

"What?"

"Why do you actually CARE about this kid?"

"What do you mean? I can't see why you don't, he's done only good thing after-

"Snotlout! Tell us why you care!"

"For Thor's sake, because he doesn't treat me like an idiot! For starters."

"Well that obviously means he doesn't know you."

Snotlout is silent for a minute. "You know what, I give up. I am officially giving up trying to talk to you, if I'm gonna have to do this all on my own then so be it. I'd rather just do this myself than stand around here arguing with you."

"Alright that's enough Snotlout, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you better quit it right now."

"For Thor's sake Astrid! You're not the boss of me, stop acting like you even know me!"

"There's nothing we can DO Snotlout! You don't disobey the Chief, and we've tried changing his mind. We need to get Hiccup up and running again, he'll think of some– "Just shut up Astrid!" Snotlout shouts.

"Forget about it! I'll do it myself." Snotlout starts to stomp off in the direction of Silent Sven's fields and the house that had previously belonged to Mildew.

"Berk's the other way Snotface!" Astrid calls angrily.

"Get lost!" He calls back.

Astrid just stands there looking like she's about to catch fire.

Fishlegs stares wide eyed and uncomfortable and whines very high pitched "Uhhhhuhhhuhh..."

...

"He's gotta be down here somewhere!" Ruffnut sighs.

"I hear you sis..." Tuffnut replies somewhat dramatically. "There was never a master criminal who didn't use the Tunnels of Doom!"

"Uh, sure there was. What about Mildew?"

"But that's where your wrong dear sister, Mildew was obviously not a master criminal if he never came here."

"Well how about Dagur then? I'm pretty sure HE counts as a "master criminal". And you can can the drama talk with me bro, I mean it's fun using it around everyone else but when it's just us down here- Hey muttonheads!" A voice calls out.

"Aaaggghh!" Ruffnut and Tuffnut scream, suddenly clutching each other in fright.

"Hey calm down, it's just me." Comes the voice of Snotlout as he steps closer so they can see him.

"Oh, it's just you." Sighs Tuffnut as he pushes his sister away. "As I can see you have finally given up searching on the surface and come to join us in the Tunnels of Doom."

"Uh no actually, we found Josh long ago."

"What?!" The twins exclaim in unison.

"How come you didn't come to get us?" Asks Ruffnut.

"I actually have come to get you, right now."

"Yeah but how come you didn't get here sooner?"

"You know what this means don't you?" Tuffnut interrupts.

"Um, no actually. I need you to help me with something." Snotlout says.

"It means," Tuffnut continues. "That the pirate slave isn't a master criminal!"

"Actually your right Tuff, that's what I need your help with. He's totally not a criminal but he's being treated like one anyway."

"Such drama!" Ruffnut exclaims.

"Yeah yeah, I know. I'm actually really sick of drama by now." Snotlout rolls his eyes. "But seriously guys, how do you two feel about a good old prison break out?"

"Yes!" Tuffnut cheers. "It's been forever since we've done that!"

...